#afpfc Stewardship in a Small Shop: Lasting Relationships with Donors

Gratitude as the word of the year – feeling, connecting to another human being. Everyone is involved. We are stewards in relationships witb donors, everyone! One way to engage board members in helping to show gratitude is by having them write thank you cards to donors.

When going to events, all program staff should know and be aware of who is going to be in the room. This reinforces that everyone is in this together.

It’s very important to connect donors to the mission of the organization. Test messages. Can an 8th grader understand what you do?

Once you are employed by an organization, you are part of the family. Start with teaching staff how to say thank you, and build a culture of gratitude.

What’s your favorite part of your job (the speaker’s is saying thank you)?

Create a postcard with events listed for the year. Connect with others to sponsor events i.e a food vendor who could sponsor events like a breakfast.

Seek new donors. All board and staff should be involved in this. Ask all to provide of list of potential donors. Volunteers are a good source. Donor stories can be powerful.

Ask for advice and help. Find out what donors want to know more about. Find ways to engage donors. There are some great ways.

Really engage everyone and train them to be stewards of the organization, ongoing.